International students often face more challenges than their American classmates because of language and cultural barriers. Don't be distressed when you have a hard time in a particular class – just remember, if the school admitted you, you are smart enough to handle all courses offered. Chances are others are struggling as well.The following are some steps international students can take to either prevent this situation or to improve both their learning experience and grades.
相对于他们的美国同学而言，留学生常因语言和文化障碍而面临更多的挑战。当你在某们课上陷入低谷期时别苦恼——只要想想，既然学校当初录取了你，就说明你有足够的睿智来应付这些课程。很可能其他人也同样在苦苦挣扎。留学生可以借鉴一下几个步骤或是避免这种情况的发生、或是提高他们的学习经验和分数。
1. Pick classes wisely: Take your English proficiency and cultural experience into account when choosing courses. If you are a freshman who started learning English a year ago, taking a high-level reading- and writing-based humanities class, such as History of Philosophy, might not be a good idea. Most colleges have course prerequisites and many have a ranking system to help students understand the difficulty level of each course. As an international student, you should pay attention to this information, as well as the level of English proficiency that is required for each class. Save classes that require a strong vocabulary for later years. When you start college, it is best to take entry-level classes that fulfill the general interdisciplinary requirements. For example, your first class could be calculus, which would satisfy a mathematics requirement and doesn't require the level of English proficiency a political science course would.
1. 明智选课：选课时应考虑到自己英语的流利程度和文化体验。如果你是名一年前才开始学英语的新生，却选了一门需要高级阅读能力、以写作为基准的人文课，比如说“哲学史”，这可能不是个好兆头。绝大多数的学校都会给出选这门课程的先决条件，很多学校也有等级系统来帮助学生理解每门课程难度和等级。座位一名留学生，你应该注重这些信息和每门课程所需的对应的英语熟练程度。把那些需要更多词汇量的课程留到高年级。大学伊始，最好的方式是选择那些满足跨学科通识要求的入门级课程。例如，你的第一门课程可以是微积分，这门课既可以满足数学要求又不像需要政治学需要那么高的英语流利程度。
Don't let this stop you from pursuing your interests. If you want to major in Comparative Literature, you should definitely take classes in the English department. However, it might be best to start with a class on short stories your freshman year and wait until you're a senior to take literary theory or dive into a course that requires you to read "War and Peace." Throughout your time at school, your English will naturally progress. Trying to take classes that require a sophisticated understanding of the English language too early might not only make it harder for you to earn good grades, but could suppress your interest in a certain subject.
别让这些条条框框阻止你追逐你的兴趣。如果你想要以比较文学为专业，你毫无疑问应该选些英语学院的课程。然而，作为新生，最好的方式可能是以短篇小说的课程为开始，等到高年级的时候再选修文学理论或是钻研一门需要你阅读《战争与和平》的课程。随着你上学年头的增加，你的英语水平会自然而然的增长。过早的尝试修读一门需要对英语有复杂理解可能不仅会使你很难拿到好成绩，而且更可能打击你对某个学科的兴趣。
2. Get help if you're struggling: Most college professors are very understanding about the challenges that international students face in the classroom, and will try to help you as much as possible if they are aware of your problems. When I took American history in college, I had a very difficult time because I didn't have the high school history knowledge that my American classmates did. When I expressed concern to my professor, he gave me a few books that had a lot of background information and found me a tutor within the department. Many colleges also have a writing center whose staff will help you edit your papers. These centers frequently have reference books and sample essays, and are excellent resources for international students.
2. 遇困能，求帮助：大多数学校的教授都非常理解留学生在课堂上面对的挑战，并且当他们意识到你有困难时都会试着尽可能的帮助你。当我上大学修读美国历史时，一度很吃力，因为不同于我的美国同班同学们，我不了解高中历史课程的知识。当我向教授表示了我的担忧后，他给了我几本包含大量背景信息的书籍，并且帮我在学院内找了位家教。很多学校都有一个写作中心，那里的员工会帮助你修改文章。这些中心通常都有文献书目和范文，对于留学生来讲，这些可都是很棒的资源。
3. Take English as a Second Language classes: Many colleges offer supplementary ESL courses, which I think are a great way to improve your English and lower the language barrier. A friend of mine took an ESL course throughout her freshman year, and by her sophomore year, was ready to sign up for high-level humanities courses. Many college ESL teachers make it their goal to improve your class participation and extend your vocabulary. Spending a small portion of your week taking those classes can be very beneficial for your college career.
3. 将英语作为第二语言课程修读：许多学校提供辅助的ESL（ESL - English as a Second Language，母语非英语）课程，我认为这是个提高英语水平很好的方式，从而也减少了语言障碍。我的一个朋友就在大一的时候修读了一门ESL课程，当她大二的时候，已经有能力报名修读高级人文课程了。许多学校的ESL教师都把提高你的课程参与性和增加词汇量作为他们的目标。用你一周中占很小一部分的时间修读这些课程可能会使你的大学时光受益匪浅。
4. Study hard and be patient: A challenging class can be a great source of stress and frustration, but remember that hard work pays off. You may have to spend more time studying than other students because there are words that you don't know, or because you can't read as quickly in English, but it could also mean that you will remember information longer than your classmates will. Also, when you find class difficult, other students probably do as well. Be patient and kind to yourself and your efforts will be recognized.
4. 努力学习、要有耐心：一门具有挑战性的课程是压力和挫败的源泉，但是记住功夫不负有心人。你也许因为不认识的单词、或是阅读英文时没那么快，而不得不比其他学生花更多的时间，但是这也可能意味着你将比你的同学更好的记住这些信息。另外，当你身陷困境，其他同学可能也是一样的。要有耐心，善待自己，功到自然成。
